1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to hold-downs for securing components to circuit assemblies and more particularly to fish hook hold-downs for securing connectors to printed circuit boards.
2. Description of Related Art
Various apparatus exist for locating and securing connectors onto printed circuit boards (PCBs) prior to and during soldering of electrical terminals mounted in the connector to the circuit assembly.
Terminal pins of through-mount connectors have been configured to secure the connector to a PCB by causing an interference fit between press-fit sections of the terminals within plated-through holes in a PCB. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,587 discloses a header with two rows of pins with selected opposed pin pairs having cantilever retention arms for engaging interior surfaces of circuit board holes to hold the header to a circuit board prior to and during soldering. The pins are held in the board holes merely by the interference fit between linear corners or edges of the pins against the wall of the board holes. The particular shape and orientation of the retention arms results in the need for a relatively high insertion force in order to press the pin into a hole.
Other hold-downs that are separate from the connector terminals have been disclosed or used for securing either surface-mount connectors or through-mount connectors to PCBs. See, for instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,987 which discloses a boardlock for mounting a connector to a printed circuit board. A first portion of the boardlock is secured by an interference fit within a recess in the connector housing. Tabs define shoulders on the boardlock which prevent the housing from being separated from the boardlock. A pair of spring members extend from the first portion for insertion into a hole through the circuit board. Barbs on opposed surfaces of the spring members bite into the wall of the hole forming an interference fit between the boardlock and the circuit board. However, the retention force caused by the interference fit between this hold-down in a connector housing is low which may necessitate the use of a special seating tool to connect such a hold-down to a board.
It is an object of this invention to provide a hold-down terminal that can be used to hold down a connector on a printed circuit board at least while terminals mounted in the connector are soldered to the circuit board.
It is an object of this invention to provide the hold-down terminal such that it can be used to hold down either a through-mount connector or a surface mount connector onto a printed circuit board.
These and other objects of the invention will be clear from the following description.